Young Lions Watch: Mapping out Aston Villa future for bright midfield duo
Aston Villa fans got their first look at Finn Azaz and Tommi O’Reilly in the senior team during their pre-season opener against Walsall.
Both players put in good shifts against the League Two side, but they could find minutes hard to come by next season.
Head coach Steven Gerrard confirmed in an interview with VillaTV last week that the club are still in the market for a new midfielder this summer.
With Villa already being stacked in that position, having no less than six senior midfielders plus Carney Chukwuemeka ahead of them, both players have a difficult route into the team next season.
Both Azaz and O’Reilly are undeniably talented, with the former picking up the Young Player of the Year award for League Two last season, so need to be playing football to develop.
How the pair should be handled
Of the pair, Azaz has a more urgent need for senior minutes after shining in League Two for the past two seasons.
The former West Brom prospect had a highly successful loan with Cheltenham Town in the 2020-21 season, making 37 appearances as The Robins won promotion.
He also turns 22 in September, putting him over the new age limit for the Premier League 2 which has been decreased to Under-21 for the new season.
With Villa being so congested in midfield, it is difficult to see Azaz getting any minutes at Villa, so a loan to the lower leagues would seem sensible.
O’Reilly is in a different situation, with the need for senior minutes not being as urgent for the 18-year-old.
He is highly rated by Steven Gerrard, who handed O’Reilly his first professional contract in March, and he has more time to be developed internally.
However, he cannot be with the Under-21s forever and will need senior football eventually, so Villa could keep him around until January before loaning him out.
Both Azaz and O’Reilly are bright talents and need to be handled properly by Villa if they are to realise their potential.
In other Aston Villa news, the club have reached an agreement with Sevilla to sign left-back Ludwig Augustinsson.